Aligning device for a pitting and halving machine for peaches and the like

ABSTRACT

To align a peach to be pitted (de-stoned) and halved, in a conveyor cup therefor, an aligning device is provided consisting of a pair of small plates projectable through the base of the cup; the plates being pivotally mounted on rotatable supports oscillated by an articulated frame. An eccentric oscillates the frame, and the vibrating contact of the plates with a peach in the cup causes the peach to locate itself accurately fore and aft in the cup. The peach may be acted upon twice, once in each of two different positions of the cup, which forms part of an endless conveyor chain which is advanced step by step past the aligning device.

United States Patent 1191 Tomelleri 1 1 Apr. 29, 1975 [54] ALIGNINGDEVICE FOR A PITTING AND HALVING MACHINE FOR PEACHES AND THE LIKEGiordano Tomelleri, Verona, Italy [30] Foreign Application Priority DataApr. 26, 1972 Italy 84934/72 521 vs. c1 198/260; 198/258 51 1111.01...B65g 47/24 58 Field of Search... 198/33 AA, 33 R, 258, 259,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,080,902 Wilkerson 198/33AA Primary E.\'an1inerEvon C. Blunk Assistant Examiner-Jeffrey V. Nase[57] ABSTRACT To align a peach to be pitted (dc-stoned) and halved, in aconveyor cup therefor, an aligning device is provided consisting of apair of small plates projectable through the base of the cup; the platesbeing pivotally mounted on rotatable supports oscillated by anarticulated frame. An eccentric oscillates the frame, and the vibratingcontact of the plates with a peach in the cup causes the peach to locateitself accurately fore and aft in the cup. The peach may be acted upontwice, once in each of two different positions of the cup, which formspart of an endless conveyor chain which is advanced step by step pastthe aligning device.

4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures ALIGNING DEVICE'FOR A PITTING AND HALVINGMACHINE FOR PEACHES AND THE LIKE Applicant claims the filing date of itsprior-filed Italian application, No. 84934A/72, filed on Apr. 26, I972.

The present invention concerns a device to be used in pitting(destoning) and halving machines for peaches and the like.

The object of the invention is to align the peach to be pitted andhalved so that the indent and the vertical plane of the peach throughthe indent are in a plane parallel to the halving plane before saidpeach is brought to the halving device.

The front or fore and aft aligning device disposes the peach, after ithas been vertically aligned, in the ideal position for being halved and,will be explained hereinafter, the said aligning device is able tocorrect the position of a peach not yet having reached perfect verticalalignment, i.e., that had not been previously located in such mannerthat the indent of the peach coincides with the vertical median axis ofa cavity in which the pit is disposed.

According to the present invention there is provided an aligning devicefor peach pitting and halving machines and the like, comprising at leastone pair of operating members each having an indent aligning plate andbeing driven to effect oscillating rotation about a vertical median axisby an amount less than a quarter of a full turn by means of pins fixedto the rods of an articulated frame, said rods being hingedly connectedto two cross bars capable of oscillating about central bearings locatedon the frame of the machine, and driven by means of an eccentricrotating between the prongs of a fork on one of the said bars.

The device has the feature of effecting the fore and aft alignment ofthepeach, due to its very rapid but limited angular displacements; thesedisplacements produce a vibration which is transmitted to the peach sothat it easily settles into the deepest part of the cavity in theconveyor in which it is located, with its mid plane indent on thealigning plates.

The following detailed description of the invention refers to theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front sectional view of an articulated frame for actuatingpairs of operating members of which the aligning device is formed:

FIG. 2 is atop view of FIG. 1 omitting the peach, the conveyor belt andthe associated cavities for receiving the peach;

FIG. 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of FIG. 2 showing parts of themachine frame for supporting the articulated frame and the operatingmembers, not shown in FIG. 2.

Equivalent parts have been given the same reference numerals in thefigures. FIG. 1 shows a conveyor belt 4, partly in section, providedwith an intermittent forward drive and having cups formed with aperturedcavities 5 for receiving the peaches, in which they are placed stem endforward. During intervals between the advance of the conveyor belt, saidbelt is lowered so that the upper end part of members subsequentlyacting to accurately align the peach fore and aft, project slightlythrough the aperture formed in the bottom of the cup cavity 5, so as tocome into contact with the peach. The peach 6, aligned vertically in theposition shown in FIG. 1 is disposed with its mid plane 8 of its indentin a position not yet in perfect fore and aft alignment, whilst theindent of peach 7 is perfectly aligned with a plane 9 which issubstantially coincident with the halving plane of the apparatus thatfollows.

During the next forward movement of the belt 4, the peach 7 is carriedalong to the pitting device (not shown in the figure) whilst the peach 6is carried onto the terminal member of a pair of operating members forfore and aft alignment.

Each of the operating members is formed by a cylindrical base 10terminating at the top in a fork ll, between the prongs of which is athin plate 12 with a pivot 13, about which the said plate can effectvertical rotary displacement according to whether the peach presses moreon one end than on the other of the plate.

Each base 10 has a shaft 15 projecting from its lower end which shaftcan oscillate in bearings provided on the supporting members 14 whichare connected to the frame of the machine. The said shaft 15 is attachedto a stirrup l6 defining an opening in which is slidably located a pin17. Said pin is carried by an oscillating articulated frame, and itsengagement with the stirrup produces oscillations of the plate 12between onefourth and one-eighth of a complete rotation of the base 10.

With reference to FIG. 2, it will be noted that the articulated frame iscomposed of two side rods 18, 19, each of which carries two pins 17. Theside rods l8, 19 are hinged at one end, by means of pins 20 to the ends21 ofa bar 21, the bar can turn about a bearing 22 and is supported by apart of the machine frame indicated by 23 in FIG. 3. At the other endthe rods 18, 19 are hinged, by means of bearings 24, on the ends 25 of across bar 25' which can effect oscillating displacements about a bearing26 which is located on a part of the machine frame 23 in FIG. 3. Thecross bar 25' is provided with two prongs 27 between which there is aneccentric 28, rotated by a shaft 29 supported in a bearing 30 on themachine frame (see FIG. 3).

When the eccentric 28 is rotated by the shaft 29, it oscillates theprongs 27 of 25 from side to side, thus forcing the bars 25 and 21connected together by the rods l8, 19, also to execute oscillatingmovements about the respective bearings 26 and 22. Consequently, thepins 17 of the rods 18, 19 oscillate their respective stirrups 16 in thetwo directions shown by the arrows 31, whereby the plates 12, in contactwith the peach also effect an oscillatory movement about the axes of thebases 10 and compel the peach to rotate by their horizontal vibratorymotion until said peaches are located with their indents associated withtheir said planes situated on the plates themselves.

As may be seen in FIG. 2, the plates 12, on the upstream side rod 19 atthe left of the figure, execute oscillating movements through an anglethe bisector of which is displaced by one-eighth of a completerevolution from that of the plates 12 on downstream side rod 18 at theright of FIG. 2. The bisecting line of the angle of displacement of theplates 12 on the right of FIG. 2 lies in a plane parallel to the halvingplane of the peach. It will therefore be seen that, whilst the plates 12on the left of FIG. 2 effect a front pre-alignment of the peach, theplates 12 on the right of FIG. 2 effect the final fore and aft alignmentof the peach, bringing it to the required best position.

If the peaches coming into contact with the operating members were notpreviously aligned therewith, then during the oscillation of the plates12 in a horizontal plane, the peaches are driven by the said plates intoalignment with the plates by the vibratory movement, which istransmitted from the operating members to the peaches.

I claim: 1. An aligning device for a peach pitting and halving machine,said device being of the type comprising a conveyor having aperturedpeach receiving cups and apparatus for aligning peach indents throughthe cup apertures;

a support member, a stirrup projecting from said base, means slidablyconnecting said stirrup to its associated side rod. and a peach indentaligning member on the upper end of said base; said aligning memberseach oscillating to orient a peach carried in a conveyor cup in responseto oscillation of said frame by said drive means.

2. The aligning device of claim 1, wherein said drive means oscillatessaid frame so as to oscillate said indent aligning members through anangle of about 45 to 3. The aligning device of claim 2, wherein theindent aligning member at the downstream side rod is oriented to providefinal peach alignment and the aligning member at the upstream side rodis oriented at an angle of about 45 to the aligning member at thedownstream side rod.

4. The aligning device of claim 1 wherein said peach indent aligningmember comprises a relatively elongated plate mounted on said base forlimited pivotal motion about a horizontal axis.

1. An aligning device for a peach pitting and halving machine, saiddevice being of the type comprising a conveyor having apertured peachreceiving cups and apparatus for aligning peach indents through the cupapertures; the improvement wherein said aligning apparatus comprises: anarticulated parallelogram frame having spaced cross bars and upstreamand downstream side rods pivotally connected to adjacent ends of saidcross bars, respectively, means for pivotally supporting said crossbars, drive means for oscillating said frame; and, peach indent aligningmeans disposed adjacent each side rod, said aligning means comprising abase, bearing means for pivotally mounting said base on a supportmember, a stirrup projecting from said base, means slidably connectingsaid stirrup to its associated side rod, and a peach indent aligningmember on the upper end of said base; said aligning members eachoscillating to orient a peach carried in a conveyor cup in response tooscillation of said frame by said drive means.
 2. The aligning device ofclaim 1, wherein said drive means oscillates said frame so as tooscillate said indent aligning members through an angle of about 45* to90*.
 3. The aligning device of claim 2, wherein the indent aligningmember at the downstream side rod is oriented to provide final peachalignment and the aligning member at the upstream side rod is orientedat an angle of about 45* to the aligning member at the downstream siderod.
 4. The aligning device of claim 1 wherein said peach indentaligning member comprises a relatively elongated plate mounted on saidbase for limited pivotal motion about a horizontal axis.